MCURL | Voyageurs Bounce Back on Day 2

Leung and Bonin-Ducharme sweeping a stone - Curling Canada/Duncan Bell
Leung and Bonin-Ducharme sweeping a stone - Curling Canada/Duncan Bell
March 16, 2023
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The Laurentian Voyageurs men's curling team participated in day 2 of the U SPORTS curling championships on Thursday with two games against the SMU Huskies and the Queen's Gaels, respectively.

 

The first game at 12:30 saw the Voyageurs take on the SMU Huskies. Although SMU began the game with the hammer, it was Laurentian that came out flying, starting the game off with three consecutive steals, going out to a quick 4-0 lead. From there the Huskies mounted a small comeback in the fourth and fifth, cutting the lead down to 4-3.

 

It was the sixth and seventh ends, though, that put the game to bed for the Voyageurs as they took care of business in the sixth putting up two points with the hammer before putting up a statement 3-point steal in the seventh to go up 9-3. Although SMU picked up a point in the eighth end the game was conceded immediately afterwards with Laurentian winning 9-4 in 8 ends to pick up their first win of the tournament, improving to 1-1.

 

Their second match at 8:30 pm was against OUA rival, the Queen's Gaels. With Laurentian students having free tickets to the game, the Voyageurs had the crowd on their side. They took advantage right from the start as, after they held Queen's to a single point with the hammer, they put 2 up of their own and had a 2-1 after 2 ends.

 

It was the fourth end, though, that was the defining moment of the match as, back with hammer, the Voyageurs really put the pedal to the metal, putting up a massive 4 points to take a commanding 6-2 lead before extending it with a fifth end steal, making it 7-2 going into the sixth. From then on, it was almost a formality as each team picked up a solo point with the hammer in the sixth, seventh and eighth, putting the game at 8-4. That was it as the game was conceded at the end of the eighth.

 

Laurentian ended up going 2-0 on the day and improved to 2-1 in the tournament. Day 3 of the tournament has them scheduled to face off against the UNB Reds at 12:30 and the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks at 8:30.

 

Andrew Lemieux